| 30 | And shortly whan the sonne was at reste | |
| | So had I spokyn with hem euerichon | |
| | That I was of hir feleship anon | |
| | And made forward erly forto ryse | |
| | To take our wey there as I you deuyse | |
| 35 | But natheles whiles that y haue tyme & space | |
| | Or that y ferthir in this tale pace | |
| | Me thynketh that it were accordaunt to reson | |
| | To telle you al the condicion | |
| | Of eche of hem so as it semed me | |
| 40 | And whiche they were and of what degre | |
| | And in what aray eke they weren ynne | |
| | A | Nd at a knyght I wil begynne | |
| | A knyght ther was a worthy man | |
| | That fro the tyme he first began | |
| 45 | To riden out he loued chyualrye | |
| | Trouthe and honour fredom and curtesye | |
| | Ful worthy he was in his lordis werre | |
| | And therto hadde he riden noman ferre | |
| | And as wel in cristendom as in hethenesse | |
| 50 | And euer hadde honour for his worthynesse | |
| | At alisaundre he was whan it was wonne | |
| | Ful ofte tyme he had the boord begonne | |
| | Abouen alle nacions in pruce | |
| | In lettowe hadde he reysed and in Ruse | |
| 55 | No cristen man so eften tymes as he | |
| | In granade at the sege eke hadde he be | |
| | In algrith hadde he riden and in belmarie | |
| | At cartage was he and eke at satalye | |